Longtime Las Vegas educator Derfelt dies at 93

Tuesday, Nov. 23, 1999 | 9:43 a.m.

When friends of Olive Derfelt would read newspaper reports of violence in today's schools, they'd say to her: "I'll bet you are glad you're not a teacher these days."

"No, I miss it," Olive would say. "I loved the kids. I enjoyed teaching."

She also was proud that her daughter and her granddaughter also became teachers in a family that has helped educate thousands of Las Vegas youths since 1957.

Olive Lavetta Derfelt, the widow of prominent Las Vegas educator and original UNLV faculty member Herbert Derfelt, died Sunday of pneumonia at MountainView Hospital. She was 93.

Graveside services for the Las Vegas resident of 42 years will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at Palm Mortuary, 1325 N. Main St. Visitation was scheduled for 2-6 p.m. today at Palm Mortuary Downtown.

"My mother did whatever she could to help children -- whether it was as a teacher in public schools or as a Sunday school teacher at the First Christian Church where she was a deaconess," said Lavetta Starlin, a former teacher at Paul Culley and Kermit Booker elementary schools.

"She never sought publicity for her accomplishments. She was a very unselfish woman who was proud of the honors Dad received."

An elementary school and a senior center are named for Herbert Derfelt, who long served as chairman of the UNLV education department. He died in November 1980.

Lavetta Starlin said the loss of her mother hit especially hard because it came just five days after her husband, former longtime Las Vegas service station owner Robert Starlin, died. Monday would have been their 41st wedding anniversary.

Before coming to Las Vegas, Derfelt taught in Kansas schools for two decades. Here, she taught at the old Bonanza Elementary School, now called Mabel Hoggard Elementary, and later opened the William Orr Junior High School library.

She was born Olive L. Johnson, in Pittsburg, Kan., in the southeast part of the state near the Missouri border, on July 5, 1906. Olive was the only child of restaurateurs Earl Johnson and the former Allie Mae Frazier.

After graduating from Pittsburg High School, Olive attended Pittsburg Teachers College, which shared the same campus as the high school. There she met fellow Kansas native Herbert Derfelt in 1933 and married him later that year.

Olive initially taught home economics in Leon, Kan. Together, the Derfelts traveled the state, each holding several teaching positions.

He eventually became a high school principal and, in 1941, was elected Cherokee County superintendent of public instruction. Herbert later served at similar posts in Columbus and Kanapolis, Kan. -- places where Olive also taught school before coming to Las Vegas.

Derfelt retired from the Clark County School District in 1971, a year before her husband retired from UNLV.

In retirement, the couple was active in church work and in senior causes. He helped lead the successful drive to build the Las Vegas Senior Center at 451 E. Bonanza Road. Later, the city named a similar center at 3343 W. Washington Ave. in his honor. An elementary school at 1900 S. Lisa Lane also is named for Herbert Derfelt.

Following Herbert's death, Olive devoted more time to her church work, teaching not only Sunday school classes, but also summer Bible classes, her daughter said.

She was happy that so many of her relatives also chose teaching as their profession.

Derfelt's granddaughter Robin Thomas is a teacher and computer strategist at Cimarron-Memorial High School. Robin's husband, Patrick Thomas, also is a teacher at Cimarron. Derfelt's daughter-in-law, Lisa Starlin, is a teacher at Edith Garehime Elementary School.

Derfelt was a member of Alpha Delta Kappa teacher's sorority and the Retired Teachers Association.

In addition to her daughter and granddaughter, Derfelt is survived by a son, Dr. Herb Starlin of Las Vegas; and three grandchildren, Pate Thomas, Starlyn Thomas and Nate Starlin, all of Las Vegas.

The family said donations can be made in Olive Derfelt's memory to the Herbert A. Derfelt Scholarship Fund, First Christian Church, 101 S. Rancho Drive, Las Vegas, NV 89106.